Brake-beam.



PATENTED MAY 2,1905. E! POSSON. BRAKE BEAM.

llil: I

No. 788,556v

Patented May '2, 1905;

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD POSSON, OF AUSTIN, ILLINOIS BRAKE-BEAM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 788,556, dated May 2,190 5.

Application filed January '7, 1905. Serial No. 240,054. I

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD POSSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Austin, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Brake-Beams for Railroad-Cars,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that part of the airbrake gear of a railroad-earknown as the brake beam or bar in connection with the brake-lever and towhich the brake blocks and shoes are attached, and has for its object toprovide a rigid and durable brake-beam of simple construction andcompact form.

The invention consists in features of novelty, as hereinafter describedand claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification, whereon Figure 1 is atop plan of my improvedbrakebeam; Fig. 2, a front edge view thereof, showing the combinedbrake-blocks in broken lines; and Figs. 8, 4, and 5 horizontalcross-sections, to enlarged scale, through the beam on lines 3 3, 4 4,and 5 5, respectively, in Fig. 1, looking from the left.

Like letters and numerals of reference denote like parts in all thefigures.

(0 represents my improved brake beam, which is composed, preferably, ofcast-steel integral throughout and consists of a central longitudinaltubular portion 5, which extends the entire length of the beam 0. Theperipheral contour of the tubular portion I) for a suitable distancefrom each end of the beam (6 is preferably elliptical, (but may becircular) having its major axis horizontal or alined to the draft orpull of the link 0, which is coupled at one end to the beam a (ashereinafter more particularly referred to) and at its other end to theordinary brake-lever, (not shown,) while the periphery of the tubularportion 7) lying between its elliptical end portions 1 is preferablycircular,as shown, but may be elliptical, square, or otherwise shaped,if desired, and forms the middle longitudinal part of the intersectingWeb 2 of an I-shaped portion (Z, the web 2 being arranged horizontallyon opposite sides of and in central alinement transversely with thetubular portion 6 and in the line of draft or pull of thelink c. Theopposite flanges 3 of the I-shaped portion cl are at their maximumdistance apart in the middle of the beam c and thence inclined towardeach other to their junction with the peripheral surfaces, respectively,of the elliptical (or circular) end portions 1, preferably at the innerend of the latter or junction with the circular part of the tubularportion Z).

On opposite parts of the tubular portion 6, at the middle of the beam a,are formed the bosses 4:, which, with the tubular portion 1) thereat,are perforated vertically for the pin 5, by which the link 0 is coupledto the beam (0, the pin 5 passing through the jaws 6 of the link 0 andthrough the tubular portion 7) of the beam a, as clearly shown in Fig.3.

On opposite parts of the periphery of the elliptical or circular endportions 1 at a suitable distance from each end of the beam (6 areformed bosses 7, which, with the tubular portion 6 thereat, areperforated horizontally for the screw-threaded shanks 8 of thewheelguards 9, (indicated by broken lines in Fig. 1,) and around eachelliptical or circular end portion 1 is formed a collar 10, betweenwhich and the corresponding end of the beam c the brake block or head 11is attached to the beam c in the usual manner.

By this construction of a central longitudinal tubular portion 5,combined with an I- shaped portion d, intersecting the tubular' portion6, a strong, rigid, compact, and durable brake-beam is insured, in whichthe metal is concentrated and distributed to the best advantage, and anyabnormal torsional or jarring strain thereon from a direction divergentto the normal pull of the brake-leveris taken up by thetubular portionZ) and transmitted thereby to the body of the beam a.

I do not limit myself to the particular configuration of the endportions 1 of the beam a nor to the particular extent and inclinationabove described of the flanges 3 of the I- shaped portion d, as thesedetails may be varied without afl'ecting the essential features of myinvention.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A brake-beam for railroad-cars, consisting of an I-shaped portionhaving its Web intersected longitudinally by a central tubular portionintegral therewith and extending the entire length of the said beam,substantially as described.

2. A brake-beam for railroad-cars, consisting of an I-shaped portionhaving its Web intersected longitudinally by a central tubular portionintegral therewith and extending the entire length of the said beam, theopposite flanges of the I-shaped portion being inclined toward eachother from the middle of the beam to their junction With the endportions respectively of the said tubular portion, substantially asdescribed.

3. A brake-beam for railroad-cars, consisting of an I-shaped portionhaving its Web intersected longitudinally by a central tubular portionintegral therewith and extending the entire length of the said beam,,theend portions of the said tubular portion being peripherally elliptical,substantially as described.

4. A brake-beam for railroad-cars, consist- .ing of an I-shaped portionhaving its Web in- EDWARD POSSON.

\Vitn'esses:

' HOWARD W. ADAMS, R. HOWARD DODSON.

